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Los Angeles Clippers: Top 5 centers of all-time

By Tom West

Apr 3, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) hangs on the net as he waits to be introduced for the game against the Washington Wizards at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 3, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) hangs on the net as he waits to be introduced for the game against the Washington Wizards at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 4, 2015; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Former UCLA and NBA player Bill Walton prior to the game between the Utah Utes and the UCLA Bruins at Jon M. Huntsman Center. Utah won 71-39. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 4, 2015; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Former UCLA and NBA player Bill Walton prior to the game between the Utah Utes and the UCLA Bruins at Jon M. Huntsman Center. Utah won 71-39. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports /

Honorable mention – Bill Walton

Per game averages with Clippers: 27 minutes,11.9 points, 9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 0.8 steals, 2.3 blocks.

Clippers totals: 4 seasons (1979-80 to 1984-85), 169 games, 2,003 points, 1,526 rebounds, 493 assists, 137 steals, 385 blocks, 53.2 field goal percentage.

Honors with Clippers: None.

If this was solely based on talent, there’s no doubt that Bill Walton would belong among the best players in any ranking of the Clippers’ stars. He’s one of the best big men the league has seen, possessing potent scoring, fierce defense and the 1977-78 MVP award to become a Hall of Fame player and one of the best centers to grace the court.

But, sadly, longevity is an issue when weighing up Walton’s place in both franchise and league history. He doesn’t have the kind of career numbers or tenure with the team to shift himself above others in terms of their impact with the Clippers.

Walton was rid of a better career due to injuries and injuries alone. He had countless issues and dealt with multiple foot surgeries, missing three complete seasons because of it. Due to such problems, Walton left Portland as an NBA champion and MVP, but struggled through his time in his hometown San Diego during the late ’70s.

Walton would have played six seasons in San Diego and one in L.A. after the move in 1984, but he missed two straight seasons with injury from 1980 to 1982 in San Diego. During his four total seasons with the Clippers across both cities, Walton finished with only 169 games played.

Finishing 7th in Clippers history in box plus-minus (2.6) and 10th in PER (18.2) is at least an indicator of his value in those injury-ridden years.

In fact, Walton still blames himself for not being able to stay healthy and be a more productive leader for the Clippers. To this day, he feels responsible for the team leaving San Diego, as he said to ESPN’s Arash Markazi:

"“When you fail in your hometown, that’s as bad as it gets, and I love my hometown. I wish we had NBA basketball here, and we don’t because of me… It’s my greatest failure as a professional in my entire life. I could not get the job done in my hometown. It is a stain and stigma on my soul that is indelible. I’ll never be able to wash that off, and I carry it with me forever.”"

Who knows what would have happened in San Diego. But sadly for both Walton and the Los Angeles Clippers, the former MVP was never able to live out to his full potential.

Next: 5th place - The dominant rebounder